|
Overcoming Barriers to Enable Affordable
and Cleaner Energy Access for Urban and Rural Poor
UNF/GNESD Side Event at COP 17
Durban, 8 December 2011
 |
|
Abeeku
Brew-Hammond (Energy Centre, Ghana), Kwame Nkrumah (University
of Science and Technology, Ghana), Richenda Van Leeuwen (UNF),
Arvinn Gadgil (Minister for International Development, Norway),
Reid Detchon (UNF), Francis Yamba (Centre for Energy,
Environment and Engineering, Zambia) and John Christensen (GNESD) |
This side-event presented successful approaches to delivering
energy services to both urban and rural communities in order to
achieve universal access to modern energy services by 2030. The
session was chaired by Reid Detchon, Vice President, United
Nations Foundation. Arvinn Gadgil, Minister for International
Development, Norway spoke on Norway’s effort in the promoting
wider access to modern energy services to developing nations
globally. This was followed by a country perspective on Ghana
regarding energy access experience and recommendations for
improved access by Prof. Abeeku Brew-Hammond, Director and
Professor, The Energy Centre and Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology respectively, Ghana. John Christensen, Head
of UNEP Risø Centre, spoke on UNEP and GNESD’s activities in
promoting access to energy in developing countries. Richenda Van
Leeuwen provided an overview on UNF’s work in Energy Access area.
The side event was concluded by Zambian country perspective,
challenges and lessons regarding improving access to energy by
Prof. Francis Yamba, Director, Centre for Energy, Environment and
Engineering, Zambia. Key message from the panel discussion centred
on the fact that overcoming barriers to enable affordable and
cleaner energy access for urban and rural poor Access is critical
to development especially to achieving the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs).
|
